Land-roller.



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ORLA A. PAOKER, OF SPRINGFIELD, OHIO.

LAND-ROLLER SEEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 718,870, dated January 20, 1903.

Application led February 28. 1902. Serial No. 96,077. (No model.)

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Be it known that I, ORLA A. PACKER, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Spring iield, in the county of Clark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Land-Rollers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to land-rollers, and has for its object to provide a construction whereby the efficiency and durability of the roller may be increased.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe and will then particularly point out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a land-roller embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partly in vertical section, along the line :c fc of Fig. 2; and Fig. f1 is a detail plan section taken on the line y y of Fig. 3.

In the said drawings, 1 indicates the main frame of the roller, which is preferably rectangular in form and comprises the transverse members 2 and 3, connected at their ends by the longitudinal members 4 and 5 and at the center by a longitudinal member 6, which is preferably prolonged forward to form the tongue or pole '7. To each ofthe members- 4 and 5 is secured, on the underside thereof, a bracket S, provided at the top with flanges 9, by means of which it is secured to the frame by bolts 10. Each bracket 8 has formed in its inner face a vertical recess or guideway 11 open atthe top, but closed at the bottom by a web or plate 12, forming the foot of the bracket. The lateral walls of the guideway 11 are provided with grooves 13, which also extend to the top of the bracket. The central member 6 is provided with a similar bracket 14, which is preferably double, consisting of two brackets similar to the end brackets united in a single piece back to back and having similar guideways, grooves, and foot-pieces.

The rollers proper are indicated at 15, and their shafts or journals 16 are mounted in bearing-boxes 17, which fit and slide in the guideways 11 of the brackets and are provided with ribs or projections 1S, which engage the grooves 13 of said guideways. Be-

tween each bearing-box 17 and the main frame there is interposed a'coiled spring 19, having its lower end suitably secured to the bearing-box, while its upper end is secured to the frame, preferably byextending its end through the same, as indicated at 20, and providing its threaded projecting extremity with a nut 21. I also interpose between each bearing-box and the bottom of the bracket in which it is mounted a similar spring 22, secured at its upper end to the bearing-box, while itslower end passes through and is secured to the bottom piece 12 of the bracket.

In the construction of land-rollers it has heretofore been proposed to so mount the rollers in the frame as to permit them to have free vertical motion independently of each other, each end of each roller being also free to move vertically independently of the other end, so as to permit the rollers to adapt themselves to the inequalities of the soil. Aserious disadvantage attendant upon this construction, however, is that Where the rollers are thus free to move vertically they press upon the more elevated portions of the soil with the same force as upon the depressed portions, so that their efficiency as leveling devices is materially impaired. Moreover, this unrestrained freedom of Vertical movement of the rollers tends to rack the frame, is apt to cause binding of the bearings, and uniits the device for use as a driving-roller provided with a drivers seat. These difficulties are overcome by my improved construction, for it will be seen that Where one of the rollers or one end thereof has to pass over an elevation of the soil the downward pressure exerted by the roller upon the soil will be increasedas the spring or springs is or are compressed, a greater portion of the weight of the frame and its load being applied to that roller orto that end of the roller which by its upward movement has caused the compression of the spring or springs. The crushing weight or load is thus applied more especially to the more elevated portions of the soil or, in other words, to those portions thereof ,which most require it, so that the roller as a whole operates more efficiently as a leveling device, as well as a crushing device, While at the same time it is free to accommodate itself to the inequalities of the soil to the ex- ICO tent which is necessary or desirable. Moren stituting the sole support of the machine and over, the structure is such that the sudden shocks or jars which tend in the ordinary construction to rack the frame and render the device unfit for riding purposes are done away with by the equalizing action of the springs.

It is obvious that the details of construction may be modied without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise details hereinbefore de scribed, and shown in the accompanying drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A land-roller comprising a frame, brackets carried by said frame and having vertical guideways, independent rollers having their axes normally in alinement and free to tilt independently at each end, said rollers conreceiving thev entire Weight of the frame and the parts supported thereby, independentlymovable bearing-boxes mounted to slide in the guideways of the brackets, springs interposed between said boxes and the frame above the boxes and adapted to resist upward movement of the boxes, and other springs inu terposed between the bracket-bottoms and said boxes below the boxes and adapted to resist downward movement o. the boxes, the weight of the frame and the parts supported thereby being transmitted to the rollers through the upper set of springs, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORLA A. PACKER.

Witnesses:

EDEN B. THIRKIELD, IRVINE MILLER. 

